The Bride of Fort Edward Delia Bacon The Bride of Fort Edward Table of Contents The Bride of Fort Edward........................................................................................................................................1 Delia Bacon....................................................................................................................................................1 PREFACE......................................................................................................................................................2 PART FIRST. INDUCTION......................................................................................................................................3 DIALOGUE I.................................................................................................................................................3 DIALOGUE II...............................................................................................................................................4 DIALOGUE III..............................................................................................................................................6 DIALOGUE IV..............................................................................................................................................9 PART SECOND. LOVE...........................................................................................................................................12 DIALOGUE I...............................................................................................................................................12 DIALOGUE II.............................................................................................................................................18 PART THIRD. FATE...............................................................................................................................................24 DIALOGUE I...............................................................................................................................................24 DIALOGUE II.............................................................................................................................................25 DIALOGUE III............................................................................................................................................27 DIALOGUE IV............................................................................................................................................28 DIALOGUE V.............................................................................................................................................29 DIALOGUE VI............................................................................................................................................31 THOUGHTS.............................................................................................................................................................32 PART FOURTH. FULFILMENT.............................................................................................................................34 DIALOGUE I...............................................................................................................................................34 DIALOGUE II.............................................................................................................................................38 DIALOGUE III............................................................................................................................................40 PART FIFTH. FULFILLMENT...............................................................................................................................49 DIALOGUE I...............................................................................................................................................49 DIALOGUE II.............................................................................................................................................52 DIALOGUE III............................................................................................................................................57 DIALOGUE IV............................................................................................................................................60 PART SIXTH. RECONCILIATION........................................................................................................................61 DIALOGUE I...............................................................................................................................................61 DIALOGUE II.............................................................................................................................................64 i The Bride of Fort Edward Delia Bacon This page copyright © 2002 Blackmask Online. http://www.blackmask.com • PREFACE. • PART FIRST. INDUCTION. • DIALOGUE I. • DIALOGUE II. • DIALOGUE III. • DIALOGUE IV. • PART SECOND. LOVE • DIALOGUE I. • DIALOGUE II. • PART THIRD. FATE. • DIALOGUE I. • DIALOGUE II. • DIALOGUE III. • DIALOGUE IV. • DIALOGUE V. • DIALOGUE VI. • THOUGHTS. • PART FOURTH. FULFILMENT. • DIALOGUE I. • DIALOGUE II. • DIALOGUE III. • PART FIFTH. FULFILLMENT • DIALOGUE I. • DIALOGUE II. • DIALOGUE III. • DIALOGUE IV. • PART SIXTH. RECONCILIATION. • DIALOGUE I. • DIALOGUE II. The Bride of Fort Edward 1 The Bride of Fort Edward Produced by David Garcia, Eric Eldred, Charles Franks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team THE BRIDE OF FORT EDWARD. FOUNDED ON AN INCIDENT OF THE REVOLUTION BY DELIA BACON PREFACE. I am extremely anxious to guard against any misconception of the design of this little work. I therefore take the liberty of apprising the reader beforehand, that it is not a Play. It was not intended for the stage, and properly is not capable of representation. I have chosen the form of the DIALOGUE as best suited to my purpose in presenting anew the passions and events of a day long buried in the past, but it is the dialogue in scenes arranged simply with reference to the impressions of the Reader, and wholly unadapted to the requirements of the actual stage. The plan here chosen, involves throughout the repose, the thought, and sentiment of Actual life, instead of the hurried action, the crowded plot, the theatrical elevation which the Stage necessarily demands of the pure Drama. I have only to ask that I may not be condemned for failing to fulfil the conditions of a species of writing which I have not attempted. The story involved in these Dialogues is essentially connected with a well−known crisis in our National History; nay, it is itself a portion of the historic record, and as such, even with many of its most trifling minutiae, is imbedded in our earliest recollections; but it is rather in its relation to the abstract truth it embodies,as exhibiting a law in the relation of the human mind to its Invisible protectorthe apparent sacrifice of the individual in the grand movements for the race,it is in this light, rather than as an historical exhibition, that I venture to claim for it, as here presented, the indulgent attention of my readers. THE AUTHOR. New−York, July 7th, 1839. THE BRIDE OF FORT EDWARD, A DRAMATIC STORY. SCENE. Fort Edward and its vicinity, on the Hudson, near Lake George. PERSONS INTRODUCED. British and American officers and soldiers. Indians employed in the British service. ELLISTONA religious missionary residing in the adjacent woods. GEORGE GREYA young American. LADY ACKLANDWife of an English Officer. PREFACE. 2 The Bride of Fort Edward MARGARETHer maid. MRS. GREYThe widow of a Clergyman residing near Fort Edward. HELEN, and ANNIE,Her daughters. JANETTEA Canadian servant. Children, &c. Time includedfrom the afternoon of one day to the close of the following. THE BRIDE OF FORT EDWARD. * * * * * PART FIRST. INDUCTION. DIALOGUE I. SCENE. The road−side on the slope of a wooded hill near Fort Edward. The speakers, two young soldiers,Students in arms. 1st Student. These were the evenings last year, when the bell From the old college tower, would find us still Under the shady elms, with sauntering step And book in hand, or on the dark grass stretched, Or lounging on the fence, with skyward gaze Amid the sunset warble. Ah! that world, That world we lived in thenwhere is it now? Like earth to the departed dead, methinks. 2nd Stud. Yet oftenest, of that homeward path I think, Amid the deepening twilight slowly trod, And I can hear the click of that old gate, As once again, amid the chirping yard, I see the summer rooms, open and dark, And on the shady step the sister stands, Her merry welcome, in a mock reproach, Of Love's long childhood breathing. Oh this year, This year of blood hath made me old, and yet, Spite of my manhood now, with all my heart, I could lie down upon this grass and weep For those old blessed times, the times of peace again. 1st Stud. There will be weeping, Frank, from older eyes, Or e'er again that blessed time shall come. Hearts strong and glad now, must be broke ere then: Wild tragedies, that for the days to come Shall faery pastime make, must yet ere then Be acted here; ay, with the genuine clasp Of anguish, and fierce stabs, not buried in silk robes, But in hot hearts, and sighs from wrung souls' depths. And they shall walk in light that we have made, They of the days to come, and sit in shadow Of our blood−reared vines, not counting